Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Training vs. Experience — Why Criminals Can Still Win” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/training-vs-experience/.
Training vs. Experience — Why Criminals Can Still Win
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
good post Mike.
Yes - like Tyson said about getting punched in the face. Once you have had the stuffing beaten out of you, more than once or lost some fights or been attacked by a pack of punks, you know what you know. Training is good, experience, in any field, is better. Put the two together and you increase your chances. Some of my instructors would pair me with bigger, better guys. When asked why, the Sensei/Sifu almost always said something like "because in the real world, that is how it will be". I look back now on their wisdom and am grateful.
Yes - like Tyson said about getting punched in the face. Once you have had the stuffing beaten out of you, more than once or lost some fights or been attacked by a pack of punks, you know what you know. Training is good, experience, in any field, is better. Put the two together and you increase your chances. Some of my instructors would pair me with bigger, better guys. When asked why, the Sensei/Sifu almost always said something like "because in the real world, that is how it will be". I look back now on their wisdom and am grateful.
The Night Rider
Professional
That was a damn good article.
I remember the very first time I sparred in an actual tournament.
My Tae Kwon Do teacher was a good teacher but all the "sparring" he had us do was Shadow Boxing. We weren't actually supposed to hit our partners.
The first time I was in a tournament I squared up on my opponent The match started, I actually hit him and I stopped cold and walked up to apologize for hitting him and he punched me square in the face.
I learned something.
I don't know for sure if this story is true but it heard it from somebody I trust.
Apparently there was a California cop in a convenience store when it got robbed. The robber was standing right next to the cop (who was off duty and not in uniform) when he pulled out the gun and the cop disarmed him exactly as he'd been trained to in the academy. Then exactly as he had been trained to do in the academy he handed the gun back to the guy. If I remember the way the story ended he was able to disarm the guy the second time because he was shocked but the guy shot him in the process. The cop lived but he got shot.
I went to another Taekwondo studio in Colorado Springs that was much better than the one in Tacoma because we actually had to put on pads and fight.
Again, the instructor would teach us "Self-defense techniques" for a small portion of the class. Then we would square up and practice them with a partner. We would do the technique And of course the partner would let us "win". Then the partner would do the technique and I was supposed to let him win.
There was one kid in that class who I did not get along with. I don't know if he did it with other people but every time I tried one of the "self-defense techniques" on him he fought back.
It made for much better training.
I don't remember the exact incident but very early on in my security career I tried to enforce a site rule with somebody and I told them that "This is the rule you're violating, you have to do this." The person refused to comply and I've had to figure out how to enforce the rule on my own.
Last paragraph, the most important thing I learned in my 15 years security career was what pre-assault indicators look like.
I got very good at being able to sell when somebody was sizing me up for an attack and I stopped a lot of them just by making it very clear that I was aware what was going on and that I was getting ready to fight instead of getting ready to run.
I remember the very first time I sparred in an actual tournament.
My Tae Kwon Do teacher was a good teacher but all the "sparring" he had us do was Shadow Boxing. We weren't actually supposed to hit our partners.
The first time I was in a tournament I squared up on my opponent The match started, I actually hit him and I stopped cold and walked up to apologize for hitting him and he punched me square in the face.
I learned something.
I don't know for sure if this story is true but it heard it from somebody I trust.
Apparently there was a California cop in a convenience store when it got robbed. The robber was standing right next to the cop (who was off duty and not in uniform) when he pulled out the gun and the cop disarmed him exactly as he'd been trained to in the academy. Then exactly as he had been trained to do in the academy he handed the gun back to the guy. If I remember the way the story ended he was able to disarm the guy the second time because he was shocked but the guy shot him in the process. The cop lived but he got shot.
I went to another Taekwondo studio in Colorado Springs that was much better than the one in Tacoma because we actually had to put on pads and fight.
Again, the instructor would teach us "Self-defense techniques" for a small portion of the class. Then we would square up and practice them with a partner. We would do the technique And of course the partner would let us "win". Then the partner would do the technique and I was supposed to let him win.
There was one kid in that class who I did not get along with. I don't know if he did it with other people but every time I tried one of the "self-defense techniques" on him he fought back.
It made for much better training.
I don't remember the exact incident but very early on in my security career I tried to enforce a site rule with somebody and I told them that "This is the rule you're violating, you have to do this." The person refused to comply and I've had to figure out how to enforce the rule on my own.
Last paragraph, the most important thing I learned in my 15 years security career was what pre-assault indicators look like.
I got very good at being able to sell when somebody was sizing me up for an attack and I stopped a lot of them just by making it very clear that I was aware what was going on and that I was getting ready to fight instead of getting ready to run.
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My two cents worth…Worked south central L.A., on and off, from 71-94. Lots of fights, especially in the 70s. Back then, it was all fisticuffs, except for the occasional stick. No knives or firearms. From my perspective, most altercations were sudden and close. Black Panthers, Brown Berets, Black Muslims, and General riff-raff. There was no time to go for a firearm, in fact, you were more concerned with protecting your own pistol from being taken and used against you or your partner. Very close quarters combat. We had been taught in just that, ( in the 70s we were expected to go hand to gland if needed)…no Mace, no Tasers, no Rovers to call for assistance. Nada! Your problem…you handle it. If you had time to draw your baton, you were lucky.
So, I would recommend practicing going hand to hand (nicer phrase) more than going for your piece, or even a knife.
Now, a word about martial arts. Note…I am not an expert in these arts, xcept for a street fighting course at the academy. Most martial arts are great, EXCEPT…they rarely teach contact, at least hard contact. Can’t have too many students going home with broken bones, which does happen on the streets. At the time I was 6’7” and weighed 240, with little fat (mind you 50 years ago). But there were dudes larger than I was! Thankfully, most of them had common sense. It was the short drunk Mexicans that wanted to fight, sometimes in groups. A lot of the problems were settled my control holds, most of which are now illegal. Again…just my two cents worth.
So, I would recommend practicing going hand to hand (nicer phrase) more than going for your piece, or even a knife.
Now, a word about martial arts. Note…I am not an expert in these arts, xcept for a street fighting course at the academy. Most martial arts are great, EXCEPT…they rarely teach contact, at least hard contact. Can’t have too many students going home with broken bones, which does happen on the streets. At the time I was 6’7” and weighed 240, with little fat (mind you 50 years ago). But there were dudes larger than I was! Thankfully, most of them had common sense. It was the short drunk Mexicans that wanted to fight, sometimes in groups. A lot of the problems were settled my control holds, most of which are now illegal. Again…just my two cents worth.
USMC6094
Custom
How you train is how you fight. When I was in Rookie School (Southern slang for Police Academy), we saw Security camera footage of an off duty NYPD Detective getting shot and killed in a bank robbery. He fought his holster trying to draw his weapon until the suspect shot and killed him.
When he trained, and qualified he always drew from an unsnapped holster, in the heat of the moment he forgot about the snap, and it cost him his life.
When he trained, and qualified he always drew from an unsnapped holster, in the heat of the moment he forgot about the snap, and it cost him his life.
Couple of thoughts, both of which I learned from my father - career Marine who grew up in some pretty grim circumstances prior to entering the Corps a year before WWII started (1938). Veteran of combat in the Pacific from Saipan to Iwo Jima, who also participated in military boxing events. Also served at a DI and MP.
First, establish a value hierarchy. If you believe that every life is sacred, don't bother with firearms or martial arts training for protection. If you don't believe your life (and the life of others you're protecting) is more important than the other person's life, you might as well just accept the consequences of losing.
Second, a quickly terminated encounter is the best encounter. My father said, '... put the other person down as quickly and as permanently as possible, but don't think it's over. Always assume that they have a friend who will jump to their defense.' It ain't over til it's over.
Note the use of the term "person" in the second statement. A threat is a threat. Gender doesn't make any difference. You stop the threat no matter what the source.
First, establish a value hierarchy. If you believe that every life is sacred, don't bother with firearms or martial arts training for protection. If you don't believe your life (and the life of others you're protecting) is more important than the other person's life, you might as well just accept the consequences of losing.
Second, a quickly terminated encounter is the best encounter. My father said, '... put the other person down as quickly and as permanently as possible, but don't think it's over. Always assume that they have a friend who will jump to their defense.' It ain't over til it's over.
Note the use of the term "person" in the second statement. A threat is a threat. Gender doesn't make any difference. You stop the threat no matter what the source.